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Thera 1.93: Eraka
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(93):Eraka Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =93. Eraka= He was reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthi, as the son of an eminent person, and was named Eraka.1 He had beauty and charm, so that in all that he had to do he was in the most highly favoured position for doing it. His parents wedded him to a maiden suitable for beauty, virtue, years, and accomplishments. But soon, because it was his final life, he grew agitated at continued being, and sought 87 the Lord(Buddha). After hearing him teach the Path(Dhamma), Eraka left the world(for monkhood). And the Lord(Buddha) gave him an exercise, but for some days he remained mastered by evil thoughts. Then the Lord(Buddha), knowing the course of his thoughts, addressed him in a verse. And he, on hearing it, thought: 'Unfitly have I acted; I, fool, that I should have continued full of bad thoughts when learning from such a Lord(Buddha).' And in distress he devoted himself to gaining insight, and soon won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he declared aññā(supreme attainment) by repeating that verse: ---- 93 Dukkhā kāmā eraka na sukhā kāmā eraka,|| Yo kāme kāmayati dukkhaɱ so kāmayati eraka,|| Yo kāme na kāmayati eraka dukkhaɱ so na kāmayati erakā' ti.|| || ---- 93 Woeful are worldly wishes, Eraka! No welfare in worldly wishes, Eraka! Whosoever desires joys of sense, desires sorrow. Whosoever desires not joys of sense, desires no sorrow.2 ---- 1 Erākā seems to have been a kind of plant, perhaps a grass, woven into blankets or mats (Vinaya Texts, ii. 35, n. 8; Jātaka, iii. 91; Sitters, lxii. 435). A town is called Eraka-grass in Majjh., i. 87 = Milinda, i. 276. Cf. also Dhp. Com., iii. 231. 2 The austere jejune simplicity of this gāthā is not poetic, and is closely followed in the translation. Kāmā (worldly wishes; joys of sense) is not easy to equate. Buddhism defines this plane of life, and animal life, and the lower heavens, too, as all 'sphere of Kāmā.' 'Unregenerate desire' is perhaps the nearest rendering. 'Desire' alone is not correct, for there is the dhamma-chanda, or desire for higher things, also characterizing life on the kāmāvacara plane. Dr. Neumann has 'Lust'; our word 'lust' is degraded by specialization. 'Pleasure' should not be so degraded, for there is pleasure (sukha) not entailing woe. ---- =1.10-3 93 Commentary on the stanza of Erakatthera= The stanza starting with Dukkhā kāmā erakā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Eraka. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home, at the time of the Blessed One Siddhattha. On having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to have seen the Master, one day, became Pious-minded, but not getting anything worthy of offering to the Master, he said to himself: Now I shall make meritorious performance of choicest character (sara) physically (kāya),” and made the way evenly level (samaṃ) for the going of the Master after having swept it clean. The Master entered upon the road made by him in that manner. On having seen the Blessed One there, he became pious-minded, paid his homage to him, lifted up his clasped hands and stood delightful hearted without missing in the least (avijahanto) his zest (pīti) over Buddha as his object of contemplation (ārammana) until He had gone beyond his seeing (dassana) range (upacāra) On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world, and having done meritorious deeds now and then, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but in excellent existences (sugati) and was reborn as a son of an honourable (sambhāvanīya) estate owner (kuṭumbiya) in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose, His name was Eraka. He was very handsome (abhirūpo) good-looking (dassanīyo), graceful (pasādiko) and was endowed with absolute (parama) accomplishment (veyyattiya) in whatever should be done thus. His mother and father brought a suitable (anucchavika) girl of equal family status (kula), beauty (rūpa), conduct (ācāra), age (vaya) and cleverness (kosalla), and performed his marriage. Living at home, cohabiting together with her, he became remorsefully minded over the rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra), by means of some source (vatthu) of another for remorse, owing to his being in his final existence, went to the presence of the Master, listened to he teaching of the truth (dhamma), aptly gained pious faith and became a monk; to him, the Master gave mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna). He took hold of the mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna).He took hold of the mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) and with the lapse of a few days, he lived, having been overwhelmed with regret (ukkanṭha). Thereupon, the Master, having come to know what has happened in his heart, spoke a stanza starting with “Dukkhā kāmā Eraka,” by way of instruction. On having heard it, he said to himself: “What is not fit (ayutta) had been done by me in that I lived intent on (bahula) wrong (middhā) thoughts (vitakka), missing (visajjanto) that mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) after having taken it from the presence of such a personage as the Master,” became remorseful, made his mind intent on (yuttapayutta) developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “The possessor of insight (cakkhumā), having crossed a small stream (nadīkā), went into the forest. I happened to have sighted that self-awakened Buddha Suddhattha, whose characteristic signs (lakkhana) were excellent. Having taken along with me a spade (kudāla) and a basket (piṭaka) and made that path (patha) evenly level, I paid my homage to the Master, and made my mind pleasently pious, (pasā- dayiṃ). It was ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago, that I then did the deed; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of road (magga) offering (dāna). Fifty seven aeons (kappa) ago there ruled a monarch of multitude of people (janādhipa), Suppābuddha by name; he was a leader (nāyaka), the monarch of men. (narissaro). My depravity had been burnt; … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, become an Arahant, he recited in reply (paccudāhāsi) that self-same stanza spoken by the Blessed One, revealing his aññā(attainment) (Arahantship). 93. ”O Eraka! Painful (dukkhā) are sensual pleasures (kāmā). O Eraka! Sensual pleasures (kāmā) are not blissful (sukhā). O Eraka! Whoever desires (kāmayati) sensual pleasures (kāmā), he welcomes (kāmayati) pain (dukkha). O Eraka! Whoever does not desire (kāmayati) sensual pleasures (kāmā), he does not welcome (kāmayati) pain (dukkha).” There, Dhukkhā kāmā means:– These desires (kāmā) for realities (vatthu) and desire for depravity (kilesa) are painful (dukkhā) possessed of pain (dukkhāmā) and producer (nibbattikā) of pain (dukkha), because of being the item (vatthu) of pain (dukkha), and because of the vicissitudes of pain (viparināmadukkha); and the pain (dukkha) of rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra). Indeed, this has been said: “Appasādā kāmā bhudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādinavo ettha bhiyyo (unhapy are sensual pleasures, which are much painful, and of abundant despair; the disadvantage here is much more); “ and so on. Revata means; first of all, now, the Blessed One addressed him; later, however, the Thera spoke to himself by name. Na sukhā kāmā means: these sensaul pleasures (kāmā), namely, are not happiness to one who is in the know; to one who is not in the know, however, they stand at hand (upaṭhahanti) as bliss (sukhato). Accordingly Buddha said: “Yo sukkhaṃ dukkhato adda, dukkhamadakkhi sallato (whoever saw bliss (sukha) as pain (dukkhato) and saw pain (dukkha) as thorn),” and so on. Yo kāme kāmayati, dukkhaṃ so kāmayati means: - a creature who desires subjective (vatthu) sansual pleasures (kāma) owing to objective (kilesa) sensual pleasures (kāma), that desire is distress (kuddha) because it is together with burning fever (pariḷāha), now (sampati), and because of the condition of cause of purgatory pain (apāya dukkha) as well as because of the condition of the cause of the misery (dukkha) of the circle of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa), in future; subjective (vatthu) sensual pleasures (kāmā), however, being subject to (vatthubhūtā) suffering (dukkha); thus, he desires the nature (sabhāva) of pain (dukkha); thus, he desires the natues (sabhāva) of pain (dukkha), the characteristic sign (nimitta) of misery (dukkha) and basis (vatthu) of distress (dukkha); thus, has been said. The other (itaraṃ) has been said to make known that self-same significance by way of its opposite (paṭipakkha); therefore, its meaning should by understood by the reverse (vipariyāya) of what has been said. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Eraka is complete. ----